Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that 80 lawyers are recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, with ten receiving this honor for the first time. Additionally, 22 Hinshaw lawyers are included in The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

The national law firm of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that 75 of the firm's lawyers have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, 30 Hinshaw lawyers were selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is pleased to announce that Milwaukee office partner Jane Schlicht was selected among BizTimes Milwaukee's Class of 2024 Notable Sages Over 65.

Jane C. Schlicht, a Milwaukee-based Intellectual Property Practice partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, was quoted in the article "First Defend Trade Secrets Act Case Rejected," published by Intellectual Property Magazine on August 15, 2016.

Jane C. Schlicht, a Milwaukee-based Intellectual Property Practice partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, provided comments included in a Thomson Reuters News story on the U.S District Court for the Southern District of Florida's decision in M.C. Dean V. City of Miami Beach, No. 16-21731. In that case, the court dismissed one of the first lawsuits brought under the Defend Trade Secrets Act, a federal law designed to protect trade secrets. 　

Jane C. Schlicht, a Milwaukee-based Intellectual Property Practice partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, was quoted in the article "City of Miami Beach Faces Trade Secrets Complaint From Builders" published by World Intellectual Property Review on May 18, 2016. 

Jane Schlicht and Kyle Fonjemie will participate in the State Bar of Wisconsin's "Complex Commercial Contracts: The Legal Principles You Need to Know for Effective Drafting" CLE on January 13, 2023. Schlicht will serve as program chair and moderator. Fonjemie will present "Drafting Remedy Clauses for Breach of Confidentiality Obligations in Commercial Contracts: Prevention, Cessation, and Compensation."

Hinshaw attorneys Jane Schlicht will serve as program chair and presenter for a Wisconsin Bar Association seminar titled "Drafting More Effective Contracts 2022," on January 14, 2022. Hinshaw's Michael Weis and Connie Meyer will also be part of the event faculty. The seminar will provide insight into issues that can arise during the contract negotiation and construction process, and how to create strong, enforceable contracts.

Connie Mayer, Blerta Mileti, Jane Schlicht, and Michael Weis will present as part of a CLE seminar titled "Drafting More Effective Contracts 2020," on January 24, 2020 in Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to her role as a presenter, Schlicht will also serve as the program chair for the event. Hosted by the State Bar of Wisconsin, the seminar is ideal for a variety of legal practitioners, especially those seeking to expand their knowledge of contract drafting concepts.

Hinshaw's Jane Schlicht, Connie Mayer, and Andrew May will participate in "Complex Commercial Contracts: The Legal Principles You Need to Know for Effective Drafting," on February 24, 2021. Presented by the State Bar of Wisconsin, the virtual event will provide attendees with a variety of drafting-related insights.

A group of Hinshaw attorneys—Russ Klingaman, David Levitt, Roger Masson, and Jane Schlicht—will present as part of the State Bar of Wisconsin's virtual conference on January 12, 2021. Collectively, their session will explore intellectual property protection considerations. Summaries of their individual presentations are below.

Earlier this year, we notified you about the passage of the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA) and how it affects employers.  On August 8, 2016, a U. S. District Judge in the Southern District of Florida dismissed one of the first cases filed under the DTSA, M.C. Dean, Inc. v. City of Miami Beach, Florida, Case No. 16-CV-21731 (S.D. Fla.) 

Both the U.S. Senate and House have passed the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016, and it is expected to be signed by President Obama in short order.

On April 30, 2015, the Wisconsin Supreme Court took a stand on a hot-button for employers by holding that continued at-will employment is legal consideration that will support a reasonably drafted restrictive covenant signed by a current employee. Runzheimer International, Inc. v. Friedlen, 2015 WI 45.

On December 27, 2020, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act (CASE Act) was signed into law as part of the COVID-19 stimulus relief and government-funding bill. The CASE Act revises the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq., and establishes a Copyright Claims Board (CCB) within the U.S. Copyright Office to adjudicate copyright disputes of $30,000 or less in total damages.

In Ritter v. Farrow, 2018 AP 1518 (WI S. Ct. 2/23/21), the Wisconsin Supreme Court addressed Wisconsin trademark law in the context of the sale of a resort management business. Applying the principle that trademarks and their associated good will pass with the sale of a business, the Court found that the defendant purchasers of the resort management business had in fact acquired the trademarks at issue. The facts and outcome of this case illustrate how important it is for business owners to understand what intellectual property they own, the steps they should take to protect those rights, and in the event of a sale of assets associated with the business, how important attention to detail is to ensure the intent of the parties is actually accomplished.

On May 11, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) of 2016. It became effective immediately.

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